Access your computer remotely from your Windows RT Tablet

There are a few apps to access your computer remotely from your Windows RT Tablet (you can't do it in opposite way, that is, access your Windows RT Tablet remotely from other computer).

There are basically two kinds of apps to remotely access your computers, considering three different purposes.

1. Access your computer (desktop, notebook) as a Remote Control - Imagine your computer is connected to your TV or Projector thru a HDMI Cable or even using a RGB cable. Now, instead of buying a wireless keyboard, you can use a application such as PC Remote Windows by PcRemote to control your computer using your Tablet as a big mouse pad or working as a remote control for some multipedia applications like Windows Media Center, VLC Player, Netflix and even Powerpoint with big buttons on your Tablet screen working as remote control buttons.
2. Fully access your computer (over your local network or over a open wide area network) - This is when you want to fully control and access your remote computer using your Windows RT Tablet. In this category you have PC Remote Windows and TeamViewer
3. Control and access the cameras of your computer - You can remotely access the cameras and microphone, see what's going on with image and sound, record the images in video, take screenshots - In this category you have iSpy

On all options, you must always install a software on both sides, that is, on the computer you want to control, usually your Desktop or Notebook computer, and your Windows RT Tablet, used to acess your remote computer(s).

PC Remote Windows Apps

With this Apps you can:

Control Remotely your Desktop/Notebook connected to the TV

Fully access your remote computer desktop ONLY on a home network (the remote access over the internet from anywhere will be available soon, according to the PC Remote development team)

 

This the home page of your Windows RT Tablet apps
The CAU-PC on the center of the screen is my
remote computer, ready to be fully accessed

You have to install a Desktop version of the application on your remote computer available at http://www.pcremoteserver.com



This is the mouse pad you use to control your computer
connected on a TV, for example.

Your remote computer must be always ON (or sleeping in some cases) and connected to the internet

TeamViewer Apps 

This is a serious and professional tool to access remotely your computer
Here again, you have to install the Windows RT Apps and the Desktop side of the application.

TeamViewer requests a login account, so it will be the bridge between your Windows RT Tablet and your remote computers. Using the web account, Teamviewer gets the real IP from your remote computers for remote access.

For security purposes, you have to creates a "partnership" between your computers, so you can fully access them.

You can't access your Windows PC Tablet remotely, but access any computer from your tablet.

TeamViewer Home page listing your
remote computers on the right side

Accessing my remote notebook computer and
the menu charm on the botton

Once you select (click on) witch computer you want to access (in my case there's only one)

When accessing your remote computer, the small TeamViewer tab you see on right is the remote computer configuration tab, so you shouldn't care about it and changing it won't affect the way your tablet sees the remote computer.

The configuration and features on Teamviewer Apps is available through the menu charm on the botton, so, again, don't care about the small TeamViewer tab on the right side of your screen. Keep it minimized.

minimize the remote computer tab and don't care about it once
it's about settings on your REMOTE computer

minimized tab

 Teamviewer is precise, highly safe (it uses 256 bits cryptography) and stable.

Ipad vs Surface RT - My iPad lover friends loved my Surface RT

Have you already seat with a iPad lover / user and do some real review on Surface RT ?

Specially considering its use as a business/work, personal productivity and travel tool ?

Well, here are some interesting insights from two friends last week in a coffee house when I spent some time with some friends.

Luiz - about 44 years old - He is a iPad user and loves its tablet - When he saw my Surface RT with Office RT (including outlook), Bing News, Bing Travel with the cool panoramic pics, MindMapping apps, Project Manager apps, Bing Translator with real time sign/image translation, some Notes Taking cool apps, he was clear that his iPad was not that cool for work. He complain about he limitation of the iPad iWork and want to keep data synchronized with his PC. He was amazed with so many apps including Office (contacts, appointments, tasks, emails), tablet personal configuration and all data that can be synched between all my Windows  Notebooks, Tablet, Phone.


Dudu (DooDoo) - about 15 years old - When he saw my Surface RT he immediately said: I prefer the iPad ! But I've asked him: Why ?  He took some time to say...it's cool. I asked again, but in what way it is cooler than Surface RT ?  Well...he answered just based on the "fad" thing...every single teenager loves iPad and iPhone because it's cool...and they really are. But when he said to me was going to buy the new Xbox, then I start to tell him how integrated is the Surface RT with Xbox...he was amazed...then I start to show some cool stuff on my Surface RT and he said...well...I think I would love to have a Surface RT too.

Another review soon: My oldest brother lives in US and have just arrived for a few weeks in Brazil. He is a business person and is a Apple lover, has a iPad and a Mac notebook since as he uses for multimedia purposes. I will spend some time with him doing a real review. I will write about it soon.

PLEASE, Tell me WHY a Windows RT Tablet should run Windows Legacy Applications !!

I'm sick of reading articles on the main tech magazines that insist on reviewing Windows RT as a OS that should run Windows legacy applications to make it a success. (like one I've read now on PC World).

It's not rational, it's not logical, it's a massive movement that must have a "Judas" to point the finger to, it's about a culture (north American) that needs someone to be the blamed.

I just can't understand why the fact that Windows RT doesn't run Windows legacy applications is a problem.

Does iPad runs all Machintosh applications ???
Does Android Tablet runs desktop applications ?

It's a tablet !.. a T-A-B-L-E-T !

Do you want to run Photoshop, CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator in a Tablet ?  Maybe  SQL Server, Power Director or other video professional editor, Adobe Acrobat Creator !!??
This is not what a Tablet was made for.

but think about this...... woooowwwwww... it's a Tablet, but can still run OFFICE !!, Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook and OneNote. Not a limited iWork, but Office !!!

Even being a Tablet, it has a desktop UI for those who can't live without it.

What a f......awesome Tablet !

That's the way Windows RT tablet should be perceived and reviewed.

Click and check my use of Surface RT for work/business, personal productivity, travel and fun
.
http://SurfaceRtReview.BlogSpot.com

ps: post your comments ! In this blog you can criticize, think different and even publicize your Blog/WEb Site (if it is related to my blog topics/subject).

Bing News: The Incredible News Applications (including considerations about Bento News)

When you think on keeping updated with world news, including subjects of personal interested, you must think on Microsoft Bing News, a MS official news application for Windows RT.

OK, I know some of you may be thinking on Bento Apps, a competitor news application you can compare to Bing News. I will also write some considerations about it.

Bing News, in my opinion, is the best of all if you want personalized news and articles.

There you can choose news sources, press agencies, add Feed URLs and some other cool personalization as you can also do using Bento News, but...

Why Bing News is the Best

The most extraordinary feature is the "Topics" feature where you can write down some keywords and keep a news section dedicated exclusively to a very specific subject.

I'm not talking just about subjects like "Soccer, Blues Music, Tablets and Phones, Comedy TV Show, etc" and other general subjects, but being specific like: "Barcelona Soccer Team, Jonny Lang, Friends TV Show, Surface RT".

Think about your preferred movie actor, or musician, soccer player, UFC fighter and any other specific topic. Right after you create a topic, Bing gathers all last news about it and put them all as a news section.

Check the topics I've created in the images below:

Bing News with the Menu showing the TOPICS I've created

News on my topic "Windows RT"

News on my topic "Dream Theater" 

Synchonization

All your topics and other customizations is automatically synchronized with your desktop/notebook or Windows Phone device(s). Just access Bing news on your Windows Phone (per example) and they will be there.

I access and read Bing News many times a day. I always find fresh news and articles on the topics I've created.

And about Bento News ??

Well, I used it also, just a few times a week, to read specific publications like "Harvard Business Review", "Gizmodo" and some more.

Bug: I found an error on Feed URL configuration on Bento Apps. I've added a feed about my company blog and it brings only the first two posts of my blog. Can't wonder why.

I've tried the same feed ur on Bing News and "bingo"...all my posts where there. My only complaint is that it doesn't show my posts images when I browse to my blog's section on Bing.

My typical Surface RT serious use, most for work purposes

I  use my Windows RT tablet for business, 8 to 9 hours a day on average and my main use and applications are:

1.     OneNote serious use for my hundreds of work and personal  notes

2.     Project Management & To Do lists

3.     Multimedia Content Management (multimedia Journal/notes),

4.     PowerPoint

5.     Skype

6.     Lots of PDF reading with annotations (ebooks, white papers, articles, manuals, etc)

7.     MindMapping

8.     Travel planning and management

9.     Shopping list (my wife loves that)

10. English to Portuguese and English to English great dictionaries used side by side with other applications (pdf reader, news reader, Internet Explorer, etc)

11. Recipe, Gastronomy and Wine Review applications

12. Watch movies, videos and photos on my TV using HDMI connection, Multimedia Remote Control 

13. Cloud storage and sync (Skydrive)

14. eMail and internet browsing

15. Bible reading with annotations and text highlighting

16. eBay Shopping

17. Mapping and tracking software

18. Application and sometimes a wireless keyboard (one for using with Google TV)

19. Text editing with Office/Word and just a very eventual Excel use

20. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin Social applications

21. News reading with customized subject sections

22. A few games (Pinball FX and Car Racing)

Ps: Please, feel free to ask me about any of them specifically.

The Surface RT Harware and Handling Review (my forearm hurts)

I won't be listing Surface RT detailed specifications; you can find them here, at MS web site.

Below are a very summary hardware review once it's not different from almost all I've seen around.

Hardware Quality: It is a fantastic and impressive peace of hardware and have no scratch on its glass regardless of my intense daily use.

Size: Therefore the 10.8" size result on great graphic view for most common applications (specially movie watching) with its 16:9 ratio aspect, it could be a little smaller to fit better in the hands, but it is not a serious issue for those who want a 10" or larger tablet.

Weight: The Surface RT weighs 1.5 pounds and therefore it weights the same of a iPad 3 (1.44 pounds), it can cause pain and even serious injuries if you are a heavy user like me.

Since I've bought my Surface RT, I use it 8 to 9 hours a day on average and got a forearm inflammation that don't want to go away. I can few a light pain every time I use my tablet, but I know it is not Surface RT's fault, but mine.

Any other 9" to 11" tablet will cause the same problem. I remember I used a 7" Android tablet for a long time and had no problem.

Cameras: Well, the cameras are poor. The front camera, used to chat, skype, etc, is good as a chatting video camera and I don't complaint, but the back camera, usually used to take pics and event video purposes is weak, poor and takes very poor pics at night. I've have read that tablet cameras are not used for photos like the mobile phones are and I agree, but sometimes we really want to take good pictures for noting purposes.

Touch Keyboard: It's cool, looks great when attached to the Surface RT, but for my little and "notebook size keyboard" addicted hands, I feel better typing in the software touch keyboard, but the touch cover works well and it is very sensitive. The magnet keyboard connection (and also the magnet power adapter connection) is a fantastic and cool idea.

Where's my 3G/4G ? I really miss a 3G interface. I need it. Despite many users try to convince me that I don't need a 3G, I really do. Why ?  Here are some very real reasons: 

• My phone can tether, but it creates a "ad hoc" wireless type network and Surface RT CAN'T see "ad hoc" network, so...I can't connect tethering. Many other phones work different and can be used for tethering purposes
• Even if I could tether, I don't want to drain my phone's battery and many times I need to talk while I work on my tablet.
• I visit costumers in a daily basis and use my Surface RT on meetings and companies usually don't like to give their wireless password away. Corporate network are usually for their private use only.
• Many times I desperately need to use the tablet in my car to send emails, proposals, etc
• I still can't understand why MS didn't make Surface RT compatible with most 3G/4G dongles available on the market

NO GPS: I also miss a GPS. I use a device tracking software that works great giving my tablet geo-position anytime on the internet, but it uses the cell phone towers localization method, so it's not accurate as GPS Satellites are. If my Surface RT gets stolen, I won't be able to know where it is with accuracy, but with up to 300 feet of error margin. I would love to also to have a GPS to use with mapping applications

Overall hardware considerations: In general, Surface RT is great. Microsoft did a great job with it's hardware quality, but I really miss a 3G and GPS features.

Detailed and deep Surface RT Review

After 5 months using Surface RT for serious tasks on a average of 8 hours a day, here are all my impressions, pros & cons, weakness and strenghens and all sort of important information for those who want a deep and real analysis on Microsofr Surface RT.

Below are some important information, assumptions and my personal profile to consider when reading all my posts.

1. I'm a heavy user computer with deep experience on Windows PCs
2. I have an Android Phone, a Windows Phone, a Windows 8 notebook and had a Android Tablet long time ago.
3. I'm a business person who uses Surface RT for both work and personal stuff, but my priority is use tablet for busines.
4. I'm NOT Microsoft devotee nor rate Apple. I just want to think and evaluate rationally when choosing a computer or any other tech gadget
5. My Surface RT configuration is a 32GB, with a touch cover and a 32GB MicroSD Card
6. My native language is NOT English, but Portuguese, so, sorry about eventual miswritings and mispellings.

Check my daily use in the post: Does anybody wants a REAL Surface Rt Review ?